World’s Largest 3D Printer

Big Delta is a 3D printer created by the Italian engineering company WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) and what sets it apart from other printers is it’s sheer size. It’s 40 feet (12 m) tall and was created with the purpose of rapidly building nearly free housing using local naturally occurring materials. As such it is perfect for offering emergency relief housing, but it could easily become more than that.

The sturdy metal frame that supports the Big Delta printer measures 20 feet (6 m) in diameter. There is a rotating nozzle, which works as a mixer to keep the building materials homogeneous. According to the creators of this printer, it only requires a couple of tens of watts of power to function making it incredibly energy efficient. As for the building materials, a wide array of materials can be used to print structures using the printer. These include mud and clay, which can be reinforced with the addition of chemical additives to ensure structural soundness, while the printer also works with cement. WASP, however, promotes green and sustainable building materials being used at all times though.

The primary goal of this machine is providing emergency relief housing to people in need, such as those in areas affected by earthquakes, floods, war or other disasters. Technology that would allow us to build homes and other structures quickly and at very low costs, would come in handy not only on Earth, but also in space. Especially in space, 3D printing would solve a huge problem of how to build functional structures without the aid of any type of machinery used for this purpose on Earth.

Use in space is probably still a way off, but according to WASP the town of Iglesias, on Sardinia, has already shown interest in using the Big Delta printer to build several housing units in its historic area. It will be interesting to see if this project goes ahead.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.